The Minister for Agriculture and Food, Mary Coughlan TD, today announced that she had approved ex-gratia payments totalling €1.2m to 94 organisations involved in the direct delivery of animal care and welfare services to assist in their work during 2007. The grants are being paid immediately.

The Minister said that this year's disbursement would assist the greatest number of animal welfare organisations in any year since the Department first made ex-gratia payments in 1995. It brings the total amount of assistance provided by the Department to organisations since then to €7.192m.

"The months after Christmas are sadly the busiest time for animal welfare organisations. Pets given at Christmas, from puppies to kittens or guinea pigs, grow up quickly, needing more food and attention or a trip to the vet. All of this can take time and money and the novelty of owning a pet can wear off for children."

Minister Coughlan also said that she was delighted to be able to help these largely voluntary organisations again this year. She added: "These bodies do excellent work throughout the country in delivering animal care and welfare services. I would like to pay tribute to all involved in the organisations and in particular to the efforts and sacrifices made by them in circumstances that are often difficult. I am well aware of the increasing demands on their services and I hope that the assistance I am providing will be of help to each of the bodies concerned in sustaining their efforts through the coming year. I recognise that such funding, however welcome, does not cover the full costs to these bodies of meeting all the demands made on them. They will continue to need the support of the general public to maintain their operations at effective levels and I would appeal to the public to continue to give that support in any way they can."

The Minister also said that in addition to their other activities, the ISPCA and various county SPCAs are involved with the Department and the IFA in the operation of the Early Warning/Intervention System for farm animal welfare cases arising from a recommendation from the Farm Animal Welfare Advisory Council (FAWAC).

The Minister appealed to people to act responsibly and with foresight in relation to giving pets as Christmas presents and in particular to heed the good advice given by animal welfare organisations in this regard.

The organisations that have been approved for funding and the amounts for each organisation are detailed in the attached table.

13 December, 2006

GRANT ALLOCATIONS TO ANIMAL WELFARE ORGANISATIONS FOR 2007

Allocation

Organisation

2006

€

Animal In Need, Co Donegal

2,000

Animal Rescue Skibbereen, Co Cork

2,000

Animal Trust Fund, Co Sligo

2,000

ASH Animal Sanctuary, Wicklow

15,000

Avalon Greyhound Sanctuary, Woodford, Co Galway

2,000

Carlow SPCA

15,000

Cats Aid, Dublin

12,000

Cavan SPCA

15,000

Celtic Animal Life Line, Tipperary

3,000

Clare Animal Welfare, Ennis

12,000

Clare SPCA, Clonoghan

10,000

Clifden Animal Rescue, Co Galway

2,000

Clondalkin Animal Aid, Dublin

6,000

Collon Animal Sanctuary, Louth

15,000

Cork Cat Action Group

6,000

Cork SPCA

25,000

Cottage Rescue, Co Tipperary

2,000

Cry for Help Cattery, Co Westmeath

2,000

Dogs Alive, Westport, Co Mayo

2,000

Dog Rescue Ireland, Dublin

15,000

Dogs in Distress, Dunboyne, Co Meath

2,000

Dogs Aid, Dublin

6,000

Donegal Pet Rescue

15,000

Drogheda Animal Rescue, Co Louth

15,000

Dublin Animal Rescue Group

2,000

Dublin SPCA

80,000

Dungarvan SPCA

12,000

Enniscorthy SPCA

15,000

Florence O'Connor, Kerry

4,000

Friends of Animal Rescue Centre, Westmeath

15,000

Galway SPCA

25,000

Hillview Animal Sanctuary, Cork

10,000

Inistioge Puppy Rescue, Co Kilkenny

8,000

Irish All Pure Bred Rescue, Tipperary

3,000

Irish Horse Protection League, Wicklow

6,000

Irish Horse Welfare Trust, Wicklow

13,000

Irish Raptor Research Centre, Sligo

10,000

ISPCA, Longford

80,000

Joan's A.R.C., Glengevlin, Co Cavan

2,000

Kerry SPCA

17,000

Kerry Greyhound Connection, Beaufort, Co Kerry

2,000

Kildare and West Wicklow SPCA

15,000

Kilkenny SPCA

8,000

Kilmeady Lodge Animal Sanctuary, Co Cork

2,000

Laois SPCA

12,000

Last Hope Animal Charity, Navan, Co Meath

2,000

Leitrim Animal Welfare Trust

25,000

Leitrim SPCA

15,000

Limerick Animal Welfare

15,000

Limerick SPCA

15,000

Longford SPCA

15,000

Louth SPCA

20,000

Mayo Animal Welfare, Westport

6,000

Mayo SPCA

10,000

Meath SPCA

20,000

Monaghan SPCA

25,000

New Ross SPCA, Co Wexford

12,000

North County Dublin SPCA

15,000

North West SPCA, Mayo

10,000

North Wexford SPCA, Gorey

10,000

Offaly Pound Rescue

2,000

Offaly SPCA

20,000

PAWS Animal Rescue, Co Tipperary

25,000

Petwatch Co Ltd, Dublin

12,000

Roscommon SPCA

12,000

Roscrea SPCA

12,000

Sathya Sai Sanctuary Trust for Nature, Sligo

10,000

Safe Haven, Co Offaly

2,000

Sligo Dog Warden Services

2,000

Sligo SPCA

20,000

St Francis Animal Sanctuary, Co Sligo

2,000

St Francis Dispensary for Sick and Injured Animals, Dublin

5,000

The Athlone &#38; West Midlands SPCA, Co Westmeath

10,000

The Cats Protection Association of Ireland, Dublin

20,000

The Daisy Fund, Kerry

6,000

The Donkey Sanctuary, Cork

50,000

The Equus Foundation, Co Kildare

2,000

The Inner City Cat Rescue Group, Dublin

3,000

The Irish Blue Cross, Dublin

80,000

The Sunset Appeal, Co Wexford

5,000

The Tigger Trust, Kerry

5,000

Tipperary Friends of Animals, Nenagh

15,000

Tipperary SPCA

12,000

Tralee Animal Welfare Group, Co Kerry

10,000

Uisneach Border Collie Rescue, Westmeath

10,000

Waterford SPCA

15,000

West Cork Animal Welfare Group

17,000

Westmeath SPCA

10,000

Westown Animal Shelter, Kildare

10,000

Wexford SPCA

20,000

Wexford Pet Helpers, Enniscorthy

2,000

Whiskers New Park Animal Sanctuary, Roscommon

12,000

Wicklow SPCA

25,000

Wildlife Rescue, Cork

2,000

TOTAL

1,224,000

NOTE:

In respect of payments in excess of €6,500, organisations must either be registered as charities or have submitted a current Tax Clearance Certificate before payments may be released to them.